Congress Resurrects 1993 Firing Issue at Martyrs’ Day Rally; Targets BJP and Trinamool

Kolkata, July 22, 2026 — In a politically charged Martyrs’ Day observance, the Congress party has launched a multi-pronged offensive against both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The rally, held at the historic Shahid Minar ground, served as a platform for the Congress to resurrect a decades-old controversy regarding the 1993 police firing incident, while simultaneously positioning itself as the primary alternative for the 2029 national elections.

The 1993 Firing Incident: A Reopened Wound

The centerpiece of the Congress’s agitation was the demand for accountability regarding the 1993 police firing during the "Mahakaran Abhijan" (Writers’ Building March). The party specifically targeted former Home Secretary Manish Gupta, who later transitioned into politics, serving as a minister in the Trinamool Congress government starting in 2011.

The timing of this renewed scrutiny follows the tabling of a fact-finding report by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari just one day prior. The report, compiled by an inquiry commission led by former Justice Sushanta Kumar Chatterjee, reportedly confirms that the Home Department under the then-Left government bore primary responsibility for the lethal firing.

Chief Minister Adhikari leveled scathing accusations against his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee, alleging that she strategically suppressed the Chatterjee Commission report—which she received in 2014—to shield Mr. Gupta. "The Chatterjee commission had a clear observation that the Home Department under the then-Left government was responsible for the firing incident," stated former West Bengal Congress President Pradeep Bhattacharya. "Mamata Banerjee tried to save him because he was made a minister. We must not forget what Mr. Adhikari had been doing then, but the current tabling of this report demands a thorough investigation and swift legal action."

To drive the point home, Congress workers staged a theatrical protest, placing a dummy figure representing Mr. Gupta in a witness box on the main stage. The venue was draped in archival photographs of the 1993 incident, including poignant images of a young Mamata Banerjee, then president of the West Bengal Youth Congress, injured after clashes near the Tea Board office on Brabourne Road, and another featuring her alongside former Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Chronology of Political Turbulence

The 1993 incident remains a dark chapter in West Bengal’s political history. The march toward the Writers’ Building was a seminal moment for the Youth Congress, signaling a massive push against the entrenched Left Front government. However, the subsequent years saw shifting loyalties and the rise of the Trinamool Congress, which eventually supplanted the Left.

For the Congress, the current situation is an attempt to reclaim its historical legacy. AICC General Secretary Deepa Das Munshi remarked that the July 21 rally was, for the first time in years, being organized in its "actual sense." She alleged that the Trinamool Congress had hijacked the observance over the past decade merely as a show of political muscle rather than an act of historical remembrance.

The rally was further marred by reports of violent clashes. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that at least 14 party workers were hospitalized following brutal attacks by BJP cadres while they were en route to the rally. "The BJP is no different [from the TMC]. They are destroying democracy," Chowdhury stated. "Our workers are currently admitted to hospitals in Kolkata, Bardhaman, Domjur, Nadia, and Bujbuj. The BJP’s intimidation tactics are a clear sign of their desperation."

Political Implications: Looking Toward 2029

Beyond the historical grievances, the Congress leadership used the Martyrs’ Day platform to articulate a national strategy aimed at unseating the BJP in the 2029 general elections. The party is increasingly aligning itself with grassroots movements, most notably the student-led protests in New Delhi spearheaded by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury drew a sharp contrast between the current government’s apathy and the Congress’s historical responsiveness to civil society demands. "The huge mobilization of young people across the country threatens the BJP," Chowdhury argued. "They didn’t even care to reach out to Sonam Wangchuk during his 21-day hunger strike. In contrast, the Congress engaged with Anna Hazare within 96 hours of his protest. We brought laws to address his demands because we believe in democratic discourse."

The Congress has announced a series of statewide rallies to be held from August 8 to August 14. These protests are intended to highlight issues ranging from state-sponsored violence against students in New Delhi to what the party describes as the "betrayal of Shyamaprasad Mookerjee’s vision."

The Battle for the ‘Bhadralok’ Soul

Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Imraan Pratapgarhi, added a sharp ideological dimension to the rally, accusing the BJP of systematically eroding West Bengal’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

"Bengal is going through a tough time," Pratapgarhi asserted. "The BJP is trying to demolish the state’s refined bhadralok (gentlemanly) culture. It is in the BJP’s DNA to incite violence, burn homes, and defect leaders through fear. If the TMC was a party of thieves, the BJP is a party of dacoits. I urge the people of Bengal to return to their old house—the Congress. People do not need a ‘change’ (poriborton); they need a ‘comeback’."

Analysis: The Shifting Political Landscape

The events of July 22, 2026, suggest a significant recalibration of West Bengal’s political theater. By focusing on the 1993 firing, the Congress is attempting to kill two birds with one stone: undermining the moral authority of the TMC by exposing their protection of former officials, and challenging the BJP’s narrative of being the sole "nationalist" alternative.

However, the road ahead remains arduous. The Congress, currently in the opposition in both the state and the center, must overcome the perception of being a diminishing force. The decision to mobilize for a week-long protest in August indicates that the party is moving toward a more confrontational, street-level agitation strategy.

Furthermore, the emphasis on the "Bhadralok" culture suggests that the Congress is attempting to recapture the urban, intellectual vote bank that has, in recent cycles, drifted toward the BJP. By framing the BJP as a party of "dacoits," the Congress is attempting to contrast its own perceived institutional legacy with the aggressive, populist style of the saffron party.

Conclusion

As the political temperature rises in West Bengal, the Congress party’s attempt to link the historical trauma of 1993 with the contemporary challenges of 2026 marks a strategic pivot. Whether this narrative of "returning home" will resonate with an electorate caught between the dominant TMC and the ascending BJP remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the 2029 battle for New Delhi will be fought on the streets of states like West Bengal, where historical memory and current grievances are being weaponized in equal measure.

The upcoming August rallies will serve as a crucial barometer for the Congress’s organizational strength. With 14 workers hospitalized and a leadership vowing to double down on its anti-BJP rhetoric, the state is bracing for a summer of intense political volatility. For now, the Congress has successfully set the agenda, forcing both the Chief Minister and the BJP to account for their respective histories and their present-day conduct.